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Understand advanced care planning, barriers, expectations, and goals at the end of life. Learn about DNR, code status, and completing a DPOA for healthcare decision-making.
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Care Planning and Code status By Mary Dorencz, NP-c and Rev. Ben schaeferm.div.
Advanced Care Planning Statistics • Less than 50 percent of Americans living with advanced or terminal illness has a Advanced Directive.1 • There is limited data for percent of all Americans who have an Advanced Directive, but a Pew Research Center survey in 2006 found that only 29 percent of people had a living will.2 1Kass-Bartelmes BL, Hughes R. Advanced care planning: Preferences for Care at the End of Life. J of Pain & Palliative Care Pharmacotherapy 2004; 18(1): 90 2http://www.people-press.org/2006/01/05/strong-public-support-for-right-to-die/
Power of Attorney vs. Advanced Directive • Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care is a document that establishes a surrogate decision-maker, which is a legal activity • An Advanced Directive is a document expressing your values, treatment goals and wishes, which is a communications task (often called a living will) • These are often combined into a single document
BARRIERS TO ADVANCE CARE PLANNING • Lack of Awareness • Denial • Confusion • Lack of assistance
Health issues in America • 70 percent of Americans (more than 1.7 million) die of a chronic disease (Kung 2008). • About 62 percent of all deaths each year are due to five chronic diseases – heart disease, cancer, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and diabetes (Minino 2011). • Alzheimer’s disease is the sixth-leading cause of death across all ages in the United States and the fifth-leading cause of death for those ages 65 and older (Xu 2007). • 42 percent of Medicare enrollees age 65 and over have functional limitations (Forum 2010). • 25 percent of people receive hospice services at the end of their lives (Casarett 2005). Advance Care Planning: Ensuring Your Wishes Are Known and Honored If You Are Unable to Speak for Yourself by Carol Tangum, National Association of Chronic Disease Directors
Talking about Code Status Its always too soon, until its too late
DNR=Do Not Resuscitate=Allow Natural Death • Only applies when the heart/lungs fail or stop • Does not mean “no care” • Patient can receive aggressive/ full medical care
Resuscitation • Comprised of 3 components • 1) Defibrillation • 2) Chest Compressions • 3) Mechanical Ventilation
Expectations • Study that included all episodes of ER, Chicago Hope and Rescue 911 between 1994-1995. • 60 instances of CPR • Mostly traumatic versus primary cardiac/respiratory cause • 75% survived initial resuscitation • 67% survived to hospital discharge
The Reality • In hospital survival in frail elderly= less than 5% • Advanced chronic disease ( CHF/COPD/Alzheimer disease/Parkinsons Disease) = less than 1% • 44% of those who survive, have significant decline in their functional status
Reality part 2 • People on mechanical ventilation usually require • Sedation • Restraint • Cannot talk • Cannot eat or drink
Goals at End-of-Life • A survey (Steinhauser 2000) of more than 1,400 patients, family members or professionals involved with end-of-life care revealed that their most important goals are: • Pain and symptom management • Preparation for death • Achieving a sense of completion • Decisions about treatment preferences • Being treated as a “whole person” Advance Care Planning: Ensuring Your Wishes Are Known and Honored If You Are Unable to Speak for Yourself by Carol Tangum, National Association of Chronic Disease Directors
Reducing Conflict • Advanced Care Planning can be a great tool for reducing conflict around end-of-life. • Gives people a voice • Helps people find some measure of control • Helps families come to consensus • Can take some of the stress off of families
Thinking about how you die • How do you approach thinking about death? • Do you think about things you DON’T want? • Do you think about the things you REALLY want? • Today we have both the gift and the curse to set some of our own boundaries (physical and emotional/relational) around what our death could look like.
Completing a DPOA • First think about what your wishes are and who you trust to be your Patient Advocate • Second talk with this person to make sure they know your wishes and would be willing to honor them. • If possible work through this document with them. • Fill out document. • Sign it in the presence of 2 witnesses who are not related to you, are not named in your document, and are not going to be involved in your health care.
Practice • Take some time and write down some of your wishes about your own care that you would want your loved ones to know if they were the ones speaking for you. Questions to get you thinking: • under what conditions (if any) would you want to be on a ventilator and for how long? • under what conditions (if any) would you want CPR attempted? • under what conditions (if any) would you want a permanent feeding tube? • What kind of music (if any) would you want playing in your room? • What Are the words that you want your loved ones to know?